Hi my name is Rod, I'm planning a new Garden and I'm new to tropical gardening.

I have been lurking for a while, finding a lot of useful information to help me prepare the ground and start collecting suitable plants.
The Garden is very small at the rear of my Victorian terraced house, however it's sheltered and south facing.
Effectively it's two planting beds 9M x 1.5M (30'x5') either side of a path with a patio area near the house.
A little small but it is what it is.
The plan so far is to plant a bamboo screen across the far end, with some Tachycarpus plams/Flaxes and ferns randomly scattered in the beds. I’ll fill in with flowering plants later in the season.

And lastly a particular thanks to the members with garden blogs, which have given me so much inspiration.

Hi and welcome! Lurking is good and I did it for a while until I plucked up the courage to say hello!

Whilst your garden is young I would try and dig in as much well rotted manure as you can before planting. The first year I planted here, growth was really impressive. Loads of quick growing annuals were used and a more hardy backbone added through the following years!

Thanks for the welcomes.
I'm going for the well packed (jungle) look, so hope to still get a good range of plants in the small area.
Although the soil looks good, I suspect that there's not much goodness left in it. I have been digging in 50ltr bags of manure and chicken manure pellets. I'll also use some Palmbooster when the Trachycarpus's go in.
I'll post up some pictures once planted.

Welcome. Lurking is good but chatting is better!
I take it the garden is walled? So much easier to create your own micro climate if it is. The bamboo screen, you've got fargesia in mind hopefully. I would strongly dissuade you from the running types. Great for a few years but a nightmare in a restricted area. Looking forward to progress photos

my name is flounder, but you can call me.............flounder! (or Gary, just don't call me late for dinner)

They are great sized boarders and will look superb. Get your festure plants in first palms tree ferns etc then just fill the rest with a riot of bananas canna and foliage and colour. Worth digging on lota of compost or similar and also some gravel if your soil is not free draining.

Most important thing is to take pics before you start to compare your hard work with later. It doesn't take long to completely change a garden and is always good to look back at what you have achieved ?

My garden is a bit bigger but shows what a difference exotics planting can make.
so to start you off

Most important thing is to take pics before you start to compare your hard work with later. It doesn't take long to completely change a garden and is always good to look back at what you have achieved ?

My garden is a bit bigger but shows what a difference exotics planting can make.
so to start you off

Well Sunday didn't turn out to bad in Kent, so I got on with putting in the Primary plants.
I did say it's a very small garden.
The Palm in the left foreground is Trachycarpus fortunei the other 3 are Trachycarpus Wagnerianus (from the Palm House), with a Cordyline Australis also on the left. Bamboos at the far end are Phyllostachys Aurea & Phyllostachys Aureosulcata Spectablis, mid way up the garden on the left is a Phyllostachys Bissettii and on the right a Phyllostachys Nigra, with a large Phormium Tenax also on the right.

Will post an update once the weather warms up and I get the rest of the plants in.
The climbing Roses may have to go.